Loss Attracts Love
by KagomeTsuchimiya
Summary: Life seems like shit when Yuzu and Isshin are killed by some leftover Arrancar. So Ichigo, in his depression, moves away with Karin to Tokyo in order to leave behind all the depressing memories. The he meets Karin's new 'nee-san', and realises that life isn't as shitty as he thought... or is it?
1. Chapter 1

The romance will come later on so this is just a friendship story, at least for a while. Rated T... for now!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything... NOT YET AT LEAST! MUHAHA!

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You know that feeling? The really depressing one that the world decides to reflect on? You know, like an afternoon dampened by the pouring rain. The dreaded sense of somebody being wretched away from you, that unimaginable fear of what they have left behind for you to deal with. The kami-damn pain that leaves you feeling so helpless, you can just barely force a tear... Feeling as though the only thing you're capable of doing, is endure.

He has felt all this before, thirteen years ago...

Except this time, it wasn't his mother. Instead it was his father, and his little sister, Yuzu...

A twenty-two year old Ichigo sat on his old bed in the dark, staring lifelessly at the ground, still unable to comprehend the fact that they were gone. His father and little sister were dead…gone forever. He would never have to dodge his dad's attacks, never taste Yuzu's delicious cooking…

Their deaths were all his fault and he knew it.

Maybe it was because of all the battles he won, the people he defeated, the war he helped win, defeating Aizen...or maybe it was just because so many people thought of him as a powerful substitute shinigami; a force to be reckon with, but all that high-and-mighty, I-can-win-any-battle shit got to his head. He thought too highly of himself and thought that he could win anything... If he didn't think that, if he had stayed focused, maybe he could've protected them... His father and sister would still be alive and Karin wouldn't have to grow up without them.

It had been a small attack by an Arrancar that had survived the war. He had taken him out quickly, but he had dodged one if the Arrancar's attacks, it ended up hitting his father, who had tried to protect Yuzu from it. They must've flown across or something, crashing into a broken stone or building, because Yuzu had a giant gash on her chest, too deep...too close to the heart...

He heard people moving around down stairs offering their condolences. He didn't want, nor deserved, to be down there, it was after all his fault that they were dead.

'Damn the world.' He thought solemnly, wishing that the tears that were inside of him would just fall out; release the pressure that was in his chest.

If Ichigo could, he would cry for them for the rest of his life.

'And you know, _not_ hide it.'

There were a lot of people here. Mostly his friends from class, including the shinigami he had become close with. Urahara and his three assistants had come to pay their respects as well. Tessai was kneeling before one of the caskets, shoulders shaking. Ururu was crying silently, and Jinta was standing by the other casket, lips pressed so tightly together that they were almost white. Urahara himself just stood there solemnly, hat held over his heart.

His friends were also downstairs, either praying silently, sobbing or just standing there looking solemn. He saw Chad, before he went to his room, praying in Spanish, one single tear slid down his cheek before they disappeared all together.

But Karin... He couldn't look at Karin. For the past day he wasn't able to look her in the eyes, afraid that there would be hate, anger and despair. He couldn't bear it, he was terrified of knowing that she blamed him for their deaths.

Even now, all he could see was them... Their eyes blank, hands slack, skin white with blood as the only substance on them.

He remembered falling to his knees, asking "Why?" as blood fell and slid down their limbs from deep gashes.

"This isn't right.."

Drip... Drip... Drip...

"This is wrong!"

He remembered that hollow feeling in his chest, which was still there. He remembered taking Yuzu's hand into his own. He remembered her blood on her hand, drenching his. He remembered his body build up walls around his heart, made of hard, iron, steel that would allow nothing to pass through.

He remembered his heart _dying_, not capable of feeling anything anymore...

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If Karin ever thought she despised anyone before...she was wrong.

While she had been annoyed by Ichigo sometimes, for worrying Yuzu, for not being there more often or just...being plain annoying, but it was nothing like this...

Nothing like the hate she felt for him at this moment. Even NOW, as his friends and her friends payed their respect, she could hear his taunts, calling the 'Arrancar' stupid and weak. Calling him pathetic because he couldn't even touch him. Touch HIM? did Ichigo even think about the fact that the three of them were in perfect range for an attack to hit them? Did he even think about the fact that he could endanger them?

Her throat clenched and tears stung at her eyes.

Did he even think about THEM at all?

"Karin-San..." She looked at Inoe, with a look that said 'what!?'.

"Are you..." She swallowed, "Alright?"

Karin, usually, would blow up, scream that she was okay, FINE. That, or she would calmly say yes. But this was an exception, and her promise to never cry or be a burden was broken.

One by one, tears slid from her eyes. But she was a strong girl, she kept her shit in line. Even if the tears were sliding down her cheeks right now, she managed to say those two words...

Two words that were the biggest lie she ever told anyone.

"I'm fine..."

Her lips shook, she clenched her hands tightly to the point of drawing blood, and when she opened her mouth to say something else, a ragged sob tore through her throat. She was hit with all the times she spent with Yuzu and her dad. Whenever Yuzu made her favorites, when her dad was an idiot, when they all played soccer together, and that time they all went to an amusement park and spent the whole day there.

It was too much for her, and she found herself on her knees, sobbing her heart out, trying to take in air as she choked slightly. She wasn't supposed to be crying.

She wasn't supposed to be a wreck but...they were dead.

She clutched her hands to her face and held them there ,trying to creat a wall between herself and the pain, hoping that holding her face in her hands would make it all go away. Trying to make the white hot pain just...disappear.

Someone had wrapped their arms around her shaking form, she clutched to them desperately, realizing that it was Ichigo. She almost hit him, almost scolded him for doing something so STUPID... but she couldn't.

She didn't know what it was, but she just couldn't, and as he told her everything would be okay, she found herself thinking; that's a lie.

It wouldn't be 'okay'. Nothing was and wouldn't be 'okay'... They were DEAD... was she just supposed to get over that in one sitting?

No. You don't. But she would try her hardest to get over it, if only for Ichigo, no matter how much she despised him at the moment.

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Sooo... what do you think? Nt that sad but I tried my hardest.

Reviews are welcomed, flames will be put out with a fir extinguisher, and tips and nudges are very much welcomed!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, so don't sue! I'm still young!

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Rain.

What a fucking joke.

It was annoying, it was cold, it was wet, and it was monotonous.

Not only that, but it was dark, depressing and made her sad.

And it also showed that someone in the cruel world she lived in-usually her-was depressed and upset. But this was one of those moments where she wasn't sad or depressed, just a very fleeting moment of melancholy.

This was why she hated the rain. Rain -weather in general- reflected off of emotions of someone who had helped save this world, drenching the world in their sadness as a sign to let them know that Mother Nature knew. Of course, those were just the physcotic, _'wise'_ words of her grandfather. Why the hell would _we _want to know that someone 'important' was sad? Did it really matter? No it didn't, but her grandfather begged to differ.

And it _royally_ pissed her off.

Because it had been raining for what... two weeks now? Yeah, that sounded about right, and the rain showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. There was water everywhere, so much that she started to wander if Japan would soon be an ocean of despair. There'd already been floods all over the place, traffic jams and such. She got caught in one, on her way to school…

What a drag that had been, the whole day passed and she had been stuck in the same place while time flew by.

It was simple physics: Rain was bad, Sunshine and Rainbows was good.

"Oh well, suck it up Kagome." She muttered to herself as she put away her homework. She was just lucky that her house was nice, warm and provided shelter from the rain. While her two bedroom house did get lonely at times without her mother, brother and grandfather, it was the place she was most relaxed at. Somewhere she could really call home.

At least, in _this_ time period.

Kagome had to suck in a breath as she mentally scolded herself, she wasn't supposed to be thinking about anything related to _that._

This place was her home now, her house, and she had to let it sink in _now._

Speaking of houses, didn't someone buy the house next to hers?

Yeah, a 'family' of two if the gossip she heard had been correct, new people moving from Karakura Town. But who would want to move to Tokyo? If she could feel the spiritual pressure from over here, then that meant Karakura was full of kami knows what, which meant that the place was full of surprises.

If she wasn't in the emotional state that she was, she would've moved to Karakura. It seemed like it would be fun. Who knew what kind of monsters lived there. Some excitement in her life would do her good.

Of course, with her state, she couldn't defend herself, hell, she almost got jumped a couple days ago. She wouldn't last a day with whatever was in Karakura.

She couldn't punch someone, let alone wield a sword…

.

.

.

What was to be expected of someone who was forced to kill all of her friends for the sake of some cursed jewel?

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It's short, yes, but with the big project I have coming up, I didn't have a lot of time to type this up.

Review and tell me what you think please.


	3. Chapter 3

Lol, this is more like a drablle instead of a real chapter, sorry guys...

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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_There was a time when they were completely unbeatable..._

_Where they lost only one hundred to none in an entire outing..._

_Where the enemy _regretted_ ever crossing paths with them..._

_Where they had Youkai bowing down before them like they were all Gods..._

_It was, indeed, like that, at one time..._

_But... now..._

_They are nothing but a wisp of what they once were..._

_They are the ones falling to their knees, not in fear or out of respect, but simply because they have lost..._

_They have lost the game..._

_They have lost their comrades..._

_They have lost their lives..._

_Though unlike what anyone would think..._

_They had not lost to a pathetic hanyou..._

_No..._

_They had been _betrayed _by the one who had once been on their side..._

_Though one should not assume. Not when they don't know the full story. In honesty, it was only a matter of time that this happen..._

_Not only allies... but_ friends_ lost to that traitor._

_All of it lost to one person, who was keeping her promise to protect a_ cursed thing that was in the shape of a pink marble...

_She spared no one..._

_All was lost..._

_She killed them all..._

_For the mere reason that they not kill her first and take what they want from her... _

_This human... a mere human had seen through the well-built deceptions of her own allies and nakama, who had far more experience than she, and had been able to react and make the first move in this game..._

_She was no 'pawn'... She did not play in any games where she did not know the rules or who pulled the strings..._

_Neither was she a fool to believe the lies they continuously sprouted out even after she had aged quickly with the wisdoms of the world..._

_She had learned a lot, and by learning she had no longer been as pathetic as she had formerly been when her journey had first started..._

_She was stronger..._

_She was a warrior... No longer naïve or as gullible as she had once been._

_You needed to earn her respect, trust and forgiveness..._

_They were no longer handed out like pieces of candy that her little kit had once craved..._

Once_... but not anymore..._

_All that is left are distant memories and the blood and bodies of those she had been forced to end..._

_All for the mere sake of a jewel..._

_Kagome Higurashi, The Miko of Shikon, had mercilessly slaughtered those she had once cared for to make sure she lived long enough to protect her own life and a little pink jewel..._

_How pitiful..._

_To think that a once pure being had destroyed her own innocence and purity to keep something so dark... pure..._

_Maybe there is a lesson to be learned in this..._

_In which you must look and see the truth now, not later...if you fail to be suspicious of the right people, you lose the game..._

_And your life..._

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Review, and sorry if it sucks, i'm _really _tired. I've been up 24/7 and school starts tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

Karin was cold, and when she meant cold, she meant very _very _cold.

It had started raining some time ago. And that rain turned into a downpour.

She was sitting on a swing in some random park.

In Tokyo.

Her and Ichigo had moved here about a week ago into a big two story house. It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large kitchen and a decent-sized living room. It was nice, clean and had just the right amount of space. Every houswive's dream house.

And she absolutely _hated_ it.

_It _was empty, and absolutely gloomy and quiet. There was no shout of 'love and worry' from her dad. No delicous, mouth-watering aroma of a home-cooked meal coming from the kitchen. No laughter or family-talks at the dinner table.

No Yuzu or Dad.

Just a broken-hearted, completely anti-social Ichigo and a pathetic pre-teen girl who didn't have anyone to talk to.

Today had been her first day of school.

It was worse than she could possibly imagine.

Everyone had immediately started talking about 'the new girl'. Whispering cruel, cold-hearted words about her. Commenting on the way she looked with her non-dressed up attire, plain ponytail and how she didn't wear any make-up and looked plain like paper.

It was stupid really, she shouldn't have been as naive as she had. She should've just ignored them, should've _smirked _at them and made some snappy comment about the way _they _lookeed and how they shouldn't be talking. It would've been easy to say something too.

Instead, she had cowered and ducked her head, become the 'no bark no bite' new girl. The puppy and-

Huh, why wasn't she being pelted by rain anymore?

With a frown, she looked up...

Her sad eyes met with equally sad yet worried orbs.

"You'll get really sick if you don't get out of the rain and dry off." A calm voice commented.

It was a woman about 20 years old, a couple years younger than her brother, with raven hair down to her mid-back. She had gorgeous crystal blue eyes, perfect arched eyebrows, high cheekbones, and a small button-nose.

She was very beautiful in Karin's opinion. Her looks and buxom body would attract any male, maybe even-dare she say-her brother too.

But there was something...different about her, something kindred about her, something that drew her in and made her want to be near her and have complete trust in her.

"I know, I just don't really care. Getting sick will get me out of school, which will be a big feat in itself." She responded cooly.

The _strangest _thing happened.

The woman _smiled_. It was soft, warm and so, so kind.

But it was also sad.

"You may be sad and angry, but you can't give up. Don't hold it in, of you need to talk then talk." She replied, an emotion in her eyes that made Karin want to cry.

"So, what's your name?"

There were a dozen things Karin could've done. She could have ignored her, she could've simply walked away, or she could've yelled at her to get lost.

She didn't.

"My name is Kurosaki Karin."

Her smile widened, "Well it's nice to meet you Karin-chan, my name is Kagome Higurashi, and... I don't know about you, but I would rather not talk in the cold rain." Kagome put her hand out for her to grab.

Karin had no idea what made her but... she lifted her hand...

And placed it in the warm hand of the older woman.

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Ichigo paced back and forth in his large kitchen, worry lacing through his veins as he check his phone for what seemed like the hundredth time.

No missed calls, texts, or voicemails. It was 11:25 pm.

It was late and Karin wasn't home. Call him the ever-so worried mother hen, but damn he was scared and worried as hell. Barely a week since they've been in Tokyo and Karin was already showing up late. And he didn't know his surroundings as much as he di in Karakura, so searching would be completely pointless lest he get lost.

'Barely a week since we moved here, barely two weeks since Yuzu and Dad joined mom...'

"'And only two weeks since I've started drowning in an ocean.'"

'Shut up horse.'

_Click._ "Ichi-nii, I'm home!" Karin called.

The sense of relief that flooded him could've been compared to that of the pride he felt when he won a fight against his enemy.

"Karin, where have you been?" He asked as he placed his hand on her head. She simply smiled.

Her smile, one that he hadn't seen in a long time, was like the sun coming out of hiding from dark clouds. It shocked him so much he could only blink.

"Relax Ichi-nii. I was just out with a friend." She calmly stated.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Was it a boy?" God only knew what he would do if she said yes.

To put it simply: he would make the kid's life _hell_.

"No Ichi-nii, it wasn't a boy," She said. "I was with nee-san."

What?

She hugged him and bid him goodnight before retiring upstairs.

He blinked again. Who the hell was 'nee-san'? Well, seeing how she was smiling and hugging him, it must've been someone she made an instant connection with. But he couldn't help but wonder who the hell 'nee-san' was...

"'Maybe some really hot chick who will make this damn ocean dissappear!'" His hollow commented in a mocking voice.

'Horse! Shut the fuck up!'

"'Damn you sure are a cock-blocker!'" This was followed by an insane laugh. "'If it weren't for the fact that miss slutty cat took your virginity away, I would assume you were-'"

'She was drunk goddammit!'

With a final snarl, he shoved his hollow deep within his mind.

In Ichigo's inner worl, his hollow stood. An ocean of absolute despair aroound him, making his movements somewhat sluggish as he looked down at the dark abyss of loneliness and sorrow.

His gold on black eyes narrowed. For once, there was no smirk or grin on his face, but instead, upmost seriousness.

"'If only you _knew_ king.'"

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Well, there you go! Not as long as I _really_ wanted it to be... :(

Oh well. Please review and tell me what you think!


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